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Campaign Guide
The Great Colonial War has come to an end. After 6 years of conflict, control of the New Continent has been solidified under the Akasian Empire after its defeat of the Eastern Dominion. An aggressive program of colonial expansion is underway in the aftermath of the war, pushing ever westward into Orcish tribal lands and waters. As part of this expansionist effort, veterans of the war can be licensed as captains of riverboats. These boats carry goods, mail, and people, forming the vital transportation backbone of the frontier, a land of numerous interconnecting waterways. Your characters will be the crew of one of these riverboats. Essentially this is very much like the territorial expansion of the United States. The difference here is that the Empire is more like Britain (like if they hadn’t lost the American Revolutionary War) and the Eastern Dominion is like Colonial France. Goblinoids play the role of the native peoples. Steamboat crews are a cross between the Pony Express and floating independent sharecroppers. The campaign dynamic is modeled after Firefly, in that players can come and go, either as hired hands or as passengers that become members of the crew through circumstance. History The recent war was between colonial powers on the new continent. The old continent is far to the east across the sea. The Empire won and is now aggressively pushing westward. Orc tribes allied with the losing faction (the Eastern Dominion) and low-level warfare is still a constant on the frontier. Goblins allied with the Empire but are still subject to racism and treaty violations. Shipping Warrants Veterans of the war can register to receive warrants to operate riverboats as independent operators to solidify Imperial colonization on the New Continent. They are to provide a free flow of (legal) goods and mail and provide passenger service. The program is colloquially referred to as “40 Fathoms and a Crew.” Riverboat Rules: *No artillery/siege weaponry allowed *Letters for delivery are to remain private and unread *Must obey all river sheriff commands *The Imperial Navy can commandeer the ship whenever necessary Magic Arcane magic is semi-technological in nature and requires gadgetry for focus. Magic items that actually have stored magic energy are relatively rare and can only be used by arcane magic users. Divine magic is direct in nature. Magic users are required to register with the imperial colonial government and receive a warrant to practice it. Certain types of magic are outlawed, in particular necromancy and the practice of native Goblinoid divine nature magic. It is not possible to see into the future in any way, so spells of this nature do not exist. Religion The ruling imperial religion is pseudo-monotheistic. There is a God King below whom are demigods (called Saints) that are the objects of worship. Clerics are followers of particular Saints, which are numerous, encapsulating many philosophies and foci. Goblinoid gods are naturalistic and animist in nature (god of the river, god of storms, etc.) Races Humanoid races intermingle freely and population is highly mixed. Think Europeans from different countries. Some racial animosity but not serious. Elves, dwarves, and halflings are minorities and tend to occupy certain roles. Elves are often entertainers and artists. Dwarves are found largely in manual labor and engineering jobs. Halflings are often peasant farmers or vendors of food. Countries and Regions *5th Magnificent Arkesian Empire (or just Empire for short). The dominant nation and victor of recent Colonial War. *Eastern Dominion - Losers of war *Many minor Old Continent nations that have a minor presence in the New (but the Empire holds sway). *Western Wildlands - Goblinoid territory undergoing displacement and colonization. Miscellaneous *Steampunk type technology. Your riverboat features a steam wheel that uses coal for fuel. *The New Continent features numerous criss-crossing rivers and waterways, many of which have been poorly mapped. Railways are uncommon because terrain is so separated by waterways it is impractical to build. Nearly all of the bridges were destroyed during the war. *The frontier is a dangerous place, with lots of exotic monsters on land and in the water. *River-bound herds of manatee-like beasts are hunted for food by Orc tribes by harpoon. The Orcs employ amphibious horses as water mounts (they look like Clydesdales but with fins above their hooves that help propel them through the water.) Many Orcs float down the waterways as pirates. *The cities of the eastern coast are rich and rulebound. The Western Wildlands are more frontier-like. *Social structure is like that of 1700s/1800s Europe but with some steam technology and primitive firearms. The bow is still commonly used alongside guns. *The system of government is constitutional monarchy where power is shared equally between king and parliament. Only rich landowners can vote for members of parliament. *There is a peace at the moment due to the consolidation of territory by the Empire but it is not entirely stable. Colonization is happening at the fringes. *Dogriders are allied Goblins who acted as scouts during the war for the Empire. Category:Test